Oil-recovery apparatus



July e 41926.

TF; P; DODGE on. RECOVERY AAPPARATUS Filed August' 31, 1'9'23 3 shets-sheet 1 Jul'y 6, 1926.

F. P. DODGE\ 011. RECOVERY APPARATUS Filed August 51, 192s s sheets-sheet a July Aes 192e. 1;591,o24

F. "P, DODGE O I'L RECOVERY APPARATUS filed August s1, 1925- -3 sh-eletsfsheet s mnunuunnunnnnuuunnmii l o I l Y lll uuml l V V u "l El" 'illl lil" Patented July 6, 1926A. i

AUNITED I s'rfrss'PATENT OFFICE.

PRED P. DODGE, or PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AssIGNOR To THE TEXASVCOMBANY, or

NEW YORK, N. Y.,'A CORPORATION OP TEXAS. i

OIL-RECOVERY APPARATUS. y

Applicationl led August 31, 1923. Serial No.'.660,280.

This 'invention relates to oil recovery apparatus and particularly to barges or vessels adapted for recovering oil from bayous,

- canals, harbors and other places where surface oil may be present.

The presence of oilin any considerable quantities on the surface of 'the water vin harbors, rivers, canals, etc., is always objectionable and in many instances even dangerous because of the fire hazard. Furthermore, the carrying away of such oil represents'a considerable financial loss in the course-of a short time and its recovery effects a very appreciable saving.

The invention about to be described in detail is adapted to overcome the many obstacles presented when attempts are made to recoveroil from the surface of the Water in vsuch places as harbors and rivers,`and presents an efficient and effective meansfor v recovering floating oilin commercial quan tities at a minimum cost. i l .From theforegoing it will readily be seen that one ofthe. Objects of the present invention is to provide a means for recovering oil from vthe surface of the water wherever it may be present in such places as bayous, harbors, rivers and canals. i

Another object of the present invention is toprovide a means for skimming the oil from the surface of the water with the removal of as -little `water as possible.

A further object is to provide means for storing the recovered oil aboard the barge. A still further object is to provide a self propelled barge adapted for the recovery of 'floating oil from water surfaces.

' Stili another object of the invention is the skimming pan to the storage tanks.

Yet another object is to provide means cooperatingwith the barge forl quieting or stilling the waters yin the vicinity of the skimming pan so thatv the'maXimum quantity of'oil' can be recovered with a minimum of water.

A still further object is to provide a skimto provide means forvremoving oil from,

of a barge. Like reference numerals refer` to similar parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawingsf 1 Figure -l is a View in side elevation, partiallyin section, lof an oil recovery barge embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same barge.

Figure 3' is van enlarged plan view, par i i tially in section, of the forward end of the barge.

Figurev 4 is a view in front elevation of the barge shown in Figures l and 2L Figure is Aa sectional view' on the line 5 5 of Figure 4Q Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of a portion ofthe barge. l

While it may be said that the apparatus comprises in general ajbarge 10, skimming device 1.1,"pumping mechanism 12 and 12a which may be housed, ifdesired, and storage tanks 13, a more detailed description of the apparatus is necessary and is accordingly presented herewith.

The barge 10 may be of any convenient type but so that it can navigate extremely shallow waters such asare frequently foundl in bayous and the smaller rivers it may well' be constructed to draw as little water Aas possible. The barge is provided with ,operating .mechanism including a propeller 14 connected by means of a shaft 15 and a chain 16 to an engine 17 which is mounted on a deck 19. A rudder 18 is likewise provided and' is operated from 'the deck 19 by 'means of' suitable mechanism (not shown).

From the prow A20 of the barge 10 eX- tends aA suitable framework comprising horizontally disposed arms 21 and 21a to each of which are securedA a number ofdown.-

wardly projecting members adapted to `supn port a skimming pan 22 and its accessories. The skimming pan 22 is horizontally disposed in the framework supported by the arms 2l and 21a 'and upon each' of its ends is connected a buoyant chamber or tank 23 which may be filled'with air, waiter or other Huid through a valve 24 for the purposelof reducingthe weight required to be handled by screws 25 by which the position of the pan 22 'and buoyant chambers 23 is adjusted vertica'lly. The pan 22 and buoyant chambers 23 are connected together' and are slidably mounted in the framework attached to the forward end of the' barge 10, the buoyant chambers 23 being constructed withlugs 26 adapted to engage in guide grooves 27 in the ends of the supporting framework which is` In operasecured to thearms 21 and 21B. tion, the skimming pan 22 is adjusted so that the edge 28 thereof is approximately flush with the surface of the water so as .to lpermit the film of floating oilV to flow into the pan without taking in anymore `water than can' -be avoided. The screws 25 arerotatably mounted on the tops of the buoyant tanks l23 and extend upwardly and through an 1nternally threadsl v sleeve member 29 to which is secured a wheel 31 by means-of which the .buoyant tanks 23 and'the attached pan/22 may be raisedor lowered.

From each of the front corners of the barge' 10 extends an adjustable beam 32 adaptedto be partially immersed in the water. One end of .each' beam 32 is hingedly secured to the barge lby means of. a hinge 33.

The two beams'can be held in any desired position by means of the securing rods 34, l the ends of which are suitably secured to the'barge and to the beams. The function of the beams is .to direct the oil towards' the skimming pan 22 andy to quiet thesurfacel of the water in the vicinity of the pan so that aI minimumvof water will be takenI 'in -thepan '$0' On the deck 19 ofthe barge 10 a.' pair .of

pumps 12a-nd 12 are secured, the inlet line 35 of each of which extends to and is in open communication with the skimming pan 22.

Each of the'lines '35 is provided with a cut off valve 46.' The open ends of the inlet lines 35- may be protected by perforated strainers`36 by means of which lsolid matter which may enter the skimming tank isprevented from entering the inlet lines. The pumps 12 are operated by the .engine 17. Fluid entering the skimming tank 22 is drawn up by the pumps 12 through the inlet lines 35 and then pumped throughypipes -37 'and 37`to a separating tank 38 which is pof sitioned on the after deck of the barge 10. The pipes 37 and 37@ are connected by a connecting pipe 53 which extends from. a point y in the pipe 37 between a cut-olf valve 50 and the pump 1-2 to the pipe 37 ata. point be' tween a cut-oii'rvalve 50 and the pump 12.

The connecting pipe is provided .witha valve 52.y .The pipe 37 is likewise connected to av draw ofi' pipe 51l provided' with avalve 52 by means-of which oil'can be pumped from the barge -throughfa suitable hose connection gvlhich is'easily secured to the draw offpipe The separating tank consists of one or more v compartments, such 4as' 39 and 40, through which thel oil and waterv from the pumps is caused to flow and wherein at least -a partial separation of the oil and water 1s etfected. The first compartment 39 is pro'- vlded wlth a valved water outlet pipe 41 through which excess water may be discharged over the side of the barge by merely opening va valve 42. The second compartwith a val'ved loutlet 43 by which t e oil is removed from the tank. The pipe 43 dis- Charges into a lpipe 44 having a swaged `nipple 45 .so that 'the' operat or -'can observe whether oil or'water is flowing out of the 44 divides and, one section thereof 44avextends along one side of the barge, whilel the ment 40 in which the oil collects, is rovided pipe 43. J ust below the nipple'45 the pipe Y other section 44 extends along the opposite side.

The hold ofthe arge l0 isvprovided with series of compart ents 13 adapted to holdl t e recovered oil until such'time as it can be c \`nveniently pumped to tanks located on ftlr shore. The pipe\ lines-44,a and 44b are pryidedwith a number of. branch lines 47,`

ex v nding downwardly into the severalcompartments 13. -Each of thebranch lines 47v is l provided with a valve 48. It ywill `be seenl that oil drawn fom the'separating 7 Vtanktfcan be passed intp anyone 4or all of the compartments bya simple manipulation ofthe valves 48. Likewise, when it is l"desired to pump theI oil contained in the several compartments to tanks located on. l

the shore, itis simply necessary to close the lvalves l46 so that no -more oil will besucked 1in from the lskimming'pan and then to close all of the Valves inthe several branchlin'es excepting the one regulating the passage of "oil to or from the particular compartment from which it is desired to remove the oil. Itis evident that vwhen the valves 46 are -1oo l" closed and the valves' 49 opened,..the con- --tinued operation of the pump will draw o i from any ofthe compartments/which may be in opencommunication with the pipe 44" larly well adapted for', skimming oil from the 'surface ofthe water in harbors, rivers,

l this invention is not limited to the exact construction shown anddescribed It is readily apparentl that while the word barge is used in thedescription and @in a' majority of the claims to denote floating conveyances, the invention is not limited bv the stricttec'hnical definition ofthe word barge 'as other floating conveyances are also well adapted for the purpose herein. described. l It. will be seen that ,other variations can be made withoutin any sense departing from the spirit -and scope of the present invention and no limitations are intended other than those appended claims.

What I claim isimposed by the etc., but it should be 'clearly understood that i 1. Oil recovery apparatus comprising a.l mi;

I vessel, means secured to the vesselfor skimming floating oil from the surface of a body of Water, means for conducting the re-` covered oil aboard the vessel, means for separating the oil from any Water With which it may be mixed, a plurality of separate compartments for storing the oil,-

and means connecting the separating means andthe several compartments for selectively delivering the oil from the separating means to anyone or all of t-he storing compartments.

2. The combination with a barge, of a framework supported at one end thereof and having a' vertically disposed guide groove in said frame-Work, a skimming pan disposed in said frame-work, a' buoyant chamber securedy to said skimming pan, a lug on said buoyant chamber adapted to slide inthe aforementioned guide groove for guiding the vertical movement of the skimming pan, and means attached tothe buoyant chamber for raising and lowering the skimming pan.

3. The combination with a barge having a supporting frame-Workat one end thereof and a, vertically disposed guide groove in said frame-Worky of a skimming pan dis.

posed in said :traine-Work, a buoyant tank secured to saidvskimming pan, a lug on said buoyant. tank adapted to slide in the aforementioned guide groove for guiding the'vertical movement of the skimming pan, a valve in said buoyant tank for the introduction of fluid, and means attached to the buoyant chamber for raising and lowering the'skimniing pan.

4LThe combination with a barge9 of a frame-Work supported at one end thereof,

vertically disposed guide grooves in said e and means attached to each of said buoyant chambers for raising and lowering either or both ends of said skimming pan.

In Witness whereof 1 have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of August, 1923.

rxr. DODGE. 

